Apparatus for desiccating liquids.



I. S. MERRELL. APPARATUS FOR DESIGGATING LIQUIDS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 15, 1906.

Patented Feb. 28, 1911.

IRVING S. MERRELL, 0F SYRACUSE, NE'W YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 MERBELL-SOULE CONPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR DESICCATING LIQUIDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 28, 1911.

Application filed March 15, 1906. Serial No. 306,215.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Irvine S. MERRELL, of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga, in the tate of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Apparatusfor Desiccating Liquids, of which thefollowing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for desiccating milkand other liquids containing solids which it is desired to collectseparate from the liquid as distinguishedfrom the apparatus shown in mypending application No. 306,214, filed March 15, 1906. In. this classof: apparatus the moisture-laden air, after absorbing the moisture fromthe solids, is permitted to escape through a screen to the atmosphere,the screen serving to prevent the escape of the desiccated product,thereby causing the powder to collect inside of the desiccating chamber,or at least, somewhere between the screen outlet and desiccatingchamber. The moisture-absorbing air is caused to circulate through thedesicoating chamber, either by raising its temperature or through themedium of a mechanical circulating device, such as a suction orforce-pump, whereby more or less of the comparatively fine powder orflour is carried against the screen, and after a short time it becomesclogged to such an extent as to hinder the assage of the moistureladenair, thereby re ucing the efficiency and necessitating frequentinterruptions in the continuity of the process for the purpose ofcleaning or removing the powder from the screens. 1 i

The essential purpose of my present invention is toprovide means forcontinuously removing the desiccated powder or dust as it collects upon.the screen and to prevent its accumulation upon the screen in order thatthe process may not be retarded by clogging or congestion. callystated,-is-to provide a movable dust collector withlone or"more screenpockets or re- This object, more specif1- ceptacles which aresuccessively brought into communication with the desiccating chamber anda suitable delivery conduit which is cut off from the desiccatingchamber so that the open sides of i the screen pockets are brought intocommunication with the deliv ery conduit, and the powder which may haveaccumulated therein is precipitated by its own gravity into saidconduit.v

Another object is to provide mechanical means for automaticallyagitating the screens when brought into communication with the conduitfor the purpose of shaking or jarring the powder from the pocket intothe conduit.

A still further object is to provide means for automatically drawing thepowder by suction from the portion of the dust collector, which is incommunication with the delivery conduit, into such conduit and at the Isame time forcing a current of air into the portion of the dustcollector which is in com Other objects and uses will appear in thefollowing description;

In the drawings-Figu re 1 is a sectional view of a desiccating apparatusembodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse verticalsectional view taken on line 22, Fig. 1. V r

This apparatus comprises essentially a desiccating chamber 1 and arotary dust collector having a plurality of screened pockets -2 whichsuccessively communigate with the desiccating chamber and With a fixeddelivery conduit -3. The liquid, as milk, to be desiccated is introducedinto the desiccating chamber together with a quantity ofmoisture-absorbing air through one on more atomizers or spray nozzles 4.

These spray-nozzles are connected by conpart of the moisture is removedby condensa-.

ir. under pressure of a-punip as -bthrough a suitable heater from whichestab duits -5 to a suitablereceptacleor receptacles --6' in which theliquid to. be

desiccated is placed.-- Themoisture absorbing power of the air ismaterially increased by passing'it through a collar as'-.a, where tionand then ,forcing the; partially dried it is forcibly. introduced intothe desicca ting chamber i'n-such quantities and at such tem perature asto rapidly-absorb the moisture 'from' the finely divided liquidparticles or globules ..without producing 'any chemical chan' e-ordenaturalization-of the solids a'nd of; moisture-ladcn air toward theoutlet of the" desiccating chamber -with which the: pockets 2-communicate.- The desiccated product which is in the form of'. an ex-'"tremelylight impalpable dust' or owcr, is

" carried by the moving currents 0 air into the pockets 2'. the moistureladenair escaping through the screen sides ofthe pockets to atmospherewhile the powder or flour is temporarily. confined in the-pockets bytho-scrccns These receptacles .or pockets 2 are preferably mounted upona roitary drum 7-- which encircles the dis-. charge endof the'desiccating chamber land is provided with radial openings 8- eachcommunicating with the interior of one of the pockets. The screenpockets -2- extend radially from' the drum 7- and are preferably formedofflexible fabric-haw 1 f in their innerqends secured to the .drum n anaround their openings 8'- and-their outer ends attached to imperforateheads '9- .which' are movable'radially, but are held in their extremeoutward position by springs 10 ,s0 that the pockets may be agitated bycompression and distention-'to remove the dry product which ,may'adhere'to its sides. It is now obvious that. a portion of the desiccatedproduct is'collected in the screen pockets 2 separate from themoisture-laden 2111f which escapes to atmospherethrough the screens, andthis product being extremely light and. more or less adhesive and beingunderipre'ssure of air from-thev desiccatmg chamber tends. .toacci'unulauzagainst thesides of the'screens, thereby re I 1 tardingthe;passage of the .-moisture-laden air' therethrough.- In order toovercomethis clogging of the screensand torender the. action of the. apparatuspractically contin u' ous' without interruption, the inner openends. ofthe'pocket s 2 are successively j broughtinto'communication-with the'fixed 6O conduit 3,, which is cut ofi mm direct commumcatio'n' with thedesiccating chamber, thereb cutting ofi direct communication I betweent' e desiccating chamber and the Qscreen ocket which may be in communication withsaid conduit, and relieving I the ishesacontinuously movingcurrent the greater portion of the powder contained therein toprecipitate into the underlying delivery conduit -A or suctionismaintained in theconduiti3-- air-pressure in such pocket enablespartial vacuum through the medium of a pump or similar Q suction device11- which isconnected by.

a conduit 12' to the conduit-3 and is[ provided with. an" additionalconduit -l3 dischargin into the, .desiecating chamber, and it, terefore,'-f follows that a parti'al vacuum is producedlineach screenpocket as it is brought into-communication] with the conduit .3',-thereby augmenting.

the discharge of the powder from'such screen pocket into the; deliverycondnit-j-3f. This dislodging of the" powder from the screenpockets isfurther facilitated by suddenly.

compressing and 'distending the screen which may be effected byanysuitable-mechanical means,- as for instance, a vibratory mallet.-

.15 and actuating means therefor, as'a i the dislodgment of anypowder-which may have 5 accumulated upon the sides of the pockets Thisbeating of the head -9- and counter action ofthe. springs causes agreater or less'ra'dial agitation of the walls of each- .pocket "whilethe latter is registered with the delivery "conduit --';-3-, suchagitation ceasing as soon as the p'ocket' passes out of the pathofmovement of the, beater -15.

- Movable in the conduit -3 is a screw conveyer 17 which is rotatedcontinf uously by means of a belt -1 8 to removethe powder-or desiccatedproduct as it accumulates in said conduit. 7 The belt -18-- is drivenfromthe shaft; 19 upon which the cam l6' is secured," and-this shaft.19- isin t'urn driven by a belt .20- "froma pulley 21- on the rotatingdrum rum' 7- carrying the screen pockets -'-2 may be driven by any power'transfmitting mechanism, but is shown as pro- .vided with" a. gear 22meshing with a pinion -23." on the shaft 24' s-.w hic h'" may beconnected by a belt -25'- to any available source of power,not'ne'cessary-to" I herein illustrate or, describe. w v

- In the operation of my apparatus, the air rection into the base of thedesiccating chami- -be1"- 1' in which the finely divided'par togetherwith the liquid v to be desiccated is simultaneously introduced inanupwarddi-g I ticles of the 'li aid and 'air 'commingle, the

air into the screen pockets 2-, some of air absorbing t e moisturefromthe solids; a and the latter are carried forwardly under the ressure ofthemoisture-laden current of;

which are always in communication with the tact with the sprayed liquidand directing it desiccating chamber, the screens permitting themoisture-laden air to escape to atmosphere, but serve to retain thedesiccated product therein. Each pocket retains more or less of thepowder, being successively the material automatically precipitates intothe underlying delivery conduit, assisted by the action of the mallet-15- on the head -9-, and also by the partial vacuum or suction createdby the suction device l]'-. The powdered material discharged into theconduit 3 is continuously withdrawn therefrom by the screw 17, and ittherefore follows that the operation of the apparatus and process ofdesiccation is practically continuous by reason of the fact that thescreens of the pockets 2 are kept free from accumulations of the powder,and, therefore, permit the moisture-laden air to pass withoutinterruption to atmosphere.

The desiccating chamber has an outlet at its bottom closed by a valve,as in the Letters Patent of Robert Stau'f, No. 666,711, January 29,1901; and this valved outlet, as shown, is located nearer the liquidinlet than is the outlet to the, dust collector. Any powder whichcollects at the bottom of the desiccating chamber is removed throughthis outlet.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a desiccating chamber having an outlet, adelivery conduit having an inlet, and a dust collector having aplurality of screened pockets provided with open sides movablesuccessively into communication with the outlet of the desiccat' ingchamber and with the inlet of the delivery conduit.

2. In combination with a desiccating chainber having an outlet, adelivery conduit having an inlet, a dust collector having a plurality ofscreened pockets provided with open sides movable successively intocommunication with the outlet of the desiccating chamber and with theinlet of the delivery conduit, and a suction device-connected to theconduit and discharging into the outlet.

3. In combination with a desiccating chamber having an outlet, adelivery conduit having an inlet, a dust collector having a plurality ofscreened pockets provided with open sides movable successively intocommunication with the outlet of the desiccating chamber and with theinlet of the delivery conduit, and means for agitating one side of eachpocket when brought into communication with the inlet of the deliveryconduit.

4. Inan apparatus for separating solids from liquid, a desiccatingchamber having an outlet, means for spraying the liquid into thedesiccating chamber, means for introducing an aeriform moistureabsorbent into con- I brought into registration with the discharge 1conduit 3- where the greater portion of toward the outlet, and a rotarydust collector having pockets movable successively into and out ofcommunication with the outlet, said pockets being'provided with at leastone screened side to permit the exit of the moisture-laden air andretain the desiccated product.

5. In combination with a desiccating chamber having an inlet for theliquid to be desiccated and a plurality of outlets located differentdistances from the inlet, a valve in the outlet nearest to the inlet,and a movable screened dust collector havlng a plurality of openingsmovable successively into and out of communication with the otheroutlet.

6. In combination with a desiccating chamber having an outlet and aseries of pockets movable successively into and out of communicationwith the outlet, each pocket having at least one side thereof providedwith a screen for permitting the-escape of the moisture-laden air andretaining the powdered product.

7. In combination with a desiccating chamher having an outlet, adelivery device for the powdered product, a plurality of pockets, andmeans for successively moving said pockets into position to receivematerial from the outlet and into position for discharging its powderedcontents into the delivery device, each pocket having one side thereofprovided with a screen to permit the escape of moisture-laden air andretain the POW.

dered product.

8. In combination with a desiccatin g chamber having an outlet, adelivery device for the powdered product, a plurality of pockets, meansfor successively moving said pockets into position to receive materialfrom the outlet and into position for discharging its powdered contentsinto the delivery device, each pocket having one side thereof providedwith a screen to permit the escape of moisture-laden air and retain thepowdered product, and means for agitating one side of the pocket whichis discharging into the delivery device.

9. A desiccating chamber, in combination with a dust collector having aninlet connecting with the desiccatin chamber, and also having an airoutlet an an outlet for powder; screens between said inlet and airoutlet, means for successively interrupting the passage of air througheach screen while the air is permitted to pass tlirough another screen,means for removing and collecting the powder from each screen" while theair is not passing through it, and means for removing the collectedpowder.

10. A (lesiccating chamber in combination with a dust collector havingan inlet connecting with the desiccating chamber, and also having an airoutlet and an outlet for powder; screens between said" inlet and'azirout- In witness whei-eofI have hereun35o set my let, meansf' forsluccesiivelyh-interruptliln tllie hand this l3th day of March, 1906;

assa e 0 airt rou eac screenw i at e e Sir isgpermitted to gas throughanother of I I E 5'these screens, and meansfor removing and Witnesses:

collecting the powder from each screen While 4 M. M. N011, thenir isnotpassing through it. i HOWARD P. Dnmsjon.

